What the El? 0 Empty Nest
by Joycelyn Solo
Summary: One set of parents prepares to welcome a child while another prepares for the ultimate sacrifice. post Season 4
1. Chapter One

**What the El? - #0 - Empty Nest  
a _Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman _- based fan fiction  
by: Joycelyn Solo**

**Author's note: **I present to you, what I hope to be, a series of stories set after the end of Season 4. This isn't necessarily a "Season 5" type of deal here, there are lots of other sites for that, but I wanted to try my own hand with the world of _Lois & Clark_ and see how far I could get with the introduction of one of my favorite heros. This prequel to my "What the El?" series takes place immediately after the fade-to-black of "The Family Hour."  
**Author's dedication:** (you don't have to read this, it might get kind of sappy) I don't usually do dedications, but this prequel goes out to the lovely and talented Polish Goddess. My best friend who will soon be leaving me for a better place: Colorado. Okay, maybe not better, but several hundred miles away for a new job. She may not truly understand my fanfic obsession, but she supports it just as we've supported each other in every endeavor since that day on the swing-set almost fifteen years ago.  
**Disclaimer: **_Lois & Clark_ and associated characters are property of December 3rd Productions who, I believe, had them on loan from from DC Comics. Most any other character we'll run into later are property of DC Comics. I mean no copyright infringement, this story is for entertainment purposes only.

**Chapter One  
**_Metropolis, May 1997_

--  
As Lois Kent presented the baby she and her husband found in the den of their Metropolis brownstone moments before, Clark heard movement in the kitchen and, lowering his glasses, looked through the door to find another surprise.

"I should have guessed." he muttered to himself. At Lois' questioning glance, he explained, "We have another visitor. Why don't you all go sit in the living room and I'll see if I can get some answers."

As he pushed open the door, Clark couldn't help his quiet laugh at the site of HG Wells in his kitchen with a frilly pink apron -- a gag gift for Lois' birthday -- tied over his tweed jacket as he warmed milk in a saucepan on the stove. 

Looking up at the sound of the Kryptonian's chuckle, the author-cum-time traveler smiled in greeting. "Ah, Clark, excellent. Could you be so kind as to pour this? I can't seem to find a potholder and, well, since you don't really need one..."

In much the same way as he'd accepted the presence of the baby inside the den, Clark didn't question as the older man handed him a baby bottle. Securing the lid, he squirted a few drops onto his forearm to measure the temperature and handed it to the visitor. 

"I'm sure you have questions," Wells said, his smile widening at Clark's paternal action. "Perhaps we should join your family in the living room and I can explain?"

Clark nodded and allowed the Englishman to precede him out of the kitchen.

"I took the liberty of preparing dinner for the young man." Wells said, passing the bottle to Lois. 

Like Lois and Clark, the site of HG Wells in the house did not raise new questions for Martha and Jonathon but actually answered them. 

Sam and Ellen weren't so reassured by the older gentlemen making himself comfortable on the couch next to their daughter while Clark took a seat on the arm rest on her other side. 

"Just who the heck are you?" Sam asked, eyeing Wells suspiciously.

"Of course, Mr. Lane, where are my manners?" He stood again and bent forward at the waist, tipping his hat to both of Lois' parents. "Herbert George Wells at your service."

"You're HG Wells?" Ellen asked, disbelief evident in her voice. "Oh, I get it, you're another one of the nut jobs Lois and Clark hang out with from that newspaper."

Before Wells could defend himself against being labeled a "nutjob," Lois explained, "HG Wells built a machine that allows him to travel through time and space."

"Oh." Ellen nodded, as though that made perfect sense.

With the identity of their unexpected guest taken care of, Clark, his attention on the baby in his wife's arms, asked the next question. "Who is he?"

Wells smiled gently. "He's yours."

"That's not possible," Lois said, even as she felt the rightness of the words. The little boy in her arms certainly _felt_ like hers. She'd held babies before, but never with this type of connection. 

"He is indeed the son of Lois and Clark." Wells reassured. "Just, not the Lois and Clark here in this room."

Lois, having the most prior experience with this sort of thing, was the first to figure it out. "A parallel us."

"Exactly right, my dear." He smiled warmly. "Since our last adventure, I have been fascinated with the differences between the parallel worlds. It's extraordinary how one outcome can affect the path of an entire world.

"During my travels, fate or coincidence placed me in one dimension just as news broke that Lex Luthor had murdered Lois and Clark Kent and Superman." He saw the dark look that passed over Clark's features and his voice turned grave. "That dimension's couple had a child, and fearing for the boy's safety, I brought him to the only place I felt he could truly be safe."

Lois looked down at the now-sleeping baby. "Since I picked him up, it just felt...I don't know..._right_. Like he's supposed to be here." 

"It's the same for me," Clark agreed, tracing a finger down the baby's cheek.

It was as Wells had hoped. "His name is Jonathon." He informed them, nodding to Clark's father whom the baby had obviously been named for. "Jonathon Clark Kent."

Despite the bizarre situation, Jonathon-elder couldn't help the proud smile that spread across his features as he wrapped his arm around Martha and held her close to him. 

"I'm having a much easier time accepting this than I think I should be, but I do have one question." Ellen said, her brow furrowed. "Why is the baby wrapped in Superman's blanket?"

Both Clark and Lois froze, unsure how to deal with that question. To their surprise, it was Lois' father who answered. "Because Clark _is_ Superman, Ellen."

"Daddy..." Lois looked puzzled, "How did you know that?"

Sam's eyebrows furrowed together. "Why, you two told me just a few days ago. When you and Clark asked for my help."

"But Dr. Mensa's machine...You forgot your negative memories..." 

"How many times have I told you, Princess?" Sam explained, "The mind is a very complex mechanism. We don't fully understand it. That machine may have repressed certain memories, but they'll come back when I need them. The minute I saw you and the 'S'-shield, I remembered." 

Martha and Jonathon shared relieved smiles. As closely as they had guarded Clark's secret for more than thirty years, it was nice to finally be able to share it. Though they never grudged the burden, it would be less stressful not to have to lie anymore to family. 

"How do we explain the sudden presence of a bouncing baby Kent?" Martha asked. 

"Actually, Mrs. Kent," HG Wells said, clearing his throat, "I think I may have an idea."

~~~~~~~~~~ 


	2. Chapter Two

**What the El? - #0 - Empty Nest  
a _Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman _- based fan fiction  
by: Joycelyn Solo**

**Author's note: **I present to you, what I hope to be, a series of stories set after the end of Season 4. This isn't necessarily a "Season 5" type of deal here, there are lots of other sites for that, but I wanted to try my own hand with the world of _Lois & Clark_ and see how far I could get with the introduction of one of my favorite heros. This prequel to my "What the El?" series takes place immediately after the fade-to-black of "The Family Hour."  
**Disclaimer: **_Lois & Clark_ and associated characters are property of December 3rd Productions who, I believe, had them on loan from from DC Comics. Most any other character we'll run into later are property of DC Comics. I mean no copyright infringement, this story is for entertainment purposes only.

**Chapter Two  
**_Argo City, Fourth Cycle of the Ninth Revolution_

--  
"Is there no other way?"

Zor-El looked up from his work to see his wife, Alura, standing outside the entrance to his lab. He noticed the weariness, the strain, that lined her face and filled her eyes. As proper Kryptonians they had each been raised to ignore their emotions, but as they had not lived like proper Kryptonians for many revolutions, both were long out of practice. The stress and heartache his wife felt, he knew, was reflected in his own features. 

"I have failed, Alura." He hung his head. "There is nothing more we can do. We have lived on borrowed time as it is. Argo City, like Krypton, will betray us."

She stepped into the lab, ignoring the protocol that demanded she await permission to enter, and moved toward her husband.

Unlike many of the arranged Kryptonian marriages, Alura was one of the few Kryptonian females to develop a fondness for her betrothed. In the scheme of strengthening family bonds, the feelings of the children joined meant little. Alura considered herself blessed that Zor-El, aside from being attractive, was a brilliant and compassionate man. 

As she laid a hand on his shoulder, both seeking and offering comfort, the two Kryptonians presented a study in contrasts. Alura, with her light blond tresses cascading down her back was fair of skin with large eyes of a vivid blue. Standing beside her husband, she came barely to his shoulder, as Zor-El was quite tall for a Kryptonian. With his dark complexion, dark hair and dark eyes, he presented an imposing figure. 

"Borrowed time it may have been, but I cannot say that I regret it, my husband." 

Thinking of the daughter they shared, born a revolution after the destruction of Krypton, Zor-El had to admit that he held no regrets either. Watching Kara, so much like her mother in appearance, grow and learn had given his life a fulfillment that none of his scientific accomplishments could match. 

But as his daughter stood on the brink of adulthood, he was saddened that he and his wife would not live to see her continue to grow and learn and pass her knowledge to her own children. 

Though they would not see it, Zor-El and Alura were determined that Kara _would_ continue her growth. Even as he and his fellow scientists struggled to find an answer to Argo City's impending doom, he had used what little spare time available to build one last project. 

When the destruction of Krypton was imminent, Zor-El had thought his brother Jor-El selfish in his decision to build a spacecraft to deliver his newborn son to safety. He had thought it a waste for his brother to use his skill to save one life when billions hung in the balance. 

Now, as a father, Zor-El understood completely how his brother must have felt. Though Argo City, too, was doomed, Zor-El was determined to save one life. The most important life. His daughter's.

Kara would be home soon, and it would be time to implement his plan. There was a small window of opportunity if he hoped to send her in the same direction Jor-El had launched his son's vessel. Then he and Alura could only hope the Fates would lead their daughter to her cousin. 

~~~~~~~~~~ 


	3. Chapter Three

**What the El? - #0 - Empty Nest  
a _Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman _- based fan fiction  
by: Joycelyn Solo**

**Author's note: **I present to you, what I hope to be, a series of stories set after the end of Season 4. This isn't necessarily a "Season 5" type of deal here, there are lots of other sites for that, but I wanted to try my own hand with the world of _Lois & Clark_ and see how far I could get with the introduction of one of my favorite heros. This prequel to my "What the El?" series takes place immediately after the fade-to-black of "The Family Hour."  
**Disclaimer: **_Lois & Clark_ and associated characters are property of December 3rd Productions who, I believe, had them on loan from from DC Comics. Most any other character we'll run into later are property of DC Comics. I mean no copyright infringement, this story is for entertainment purposes only.

**Chapter Three**   
_Metropolis_

--  
"Perry? May Lois and I talk to you?"

Perry White, editor-in-chief of _The Daily Planet_ looked up from the sheet he was proofing to see his star-reporting team hovering just outside his doorway. By the fact that Lois hadn't simply walked into his office and made herself comfortable, he was sure something was out of the ordinary. 

Pushing the proof aside, he gestured for the couple to enter and watched as Clark helped Lois into her seat and, more surprisingly, Lois allowed him to. 

When they were seated, Perry leaned back in his chair. "What can I do for you two?"

Clark took Lois' hand in his and rubbed it softly his thumb. The sign of affection was not lost on Perry. 

When the couple didn't say anything for several minutes, Perry smiled widely. "Should I just offer you cigars and pretend that you already told me?" 

"Mr. White?" Clark asked, his eyebrows drawn together in confusion. 

"Aw c'mon, you two. I've been a newshound longer than either of you have been alive." Perry chuckled aloud. "When can we expect Kent or Lane junior?"

"How'd you know?" Lois asked, her look of confusion matching her husband's. 

"Lois, honey, the day you allow anyone -- including Clark -- to help you into a chair...Should I be picking out a blue or a pink Elvis jumpsuit?"

Clark smiled widely at Perry's conclusion. "September." 

"Blue." Lois provided.

"Four months?" Perry asked, looking even more closely at Lois. "You're five months pregnant? Why didn't you two say anything before?" 

Clark took a deep breath, readying himself for the lies that would become common place in the next several months. "There have been complications..." Though he should have been use to the lies since donning the cape of Superman, he wasn't. Clark actually hoped that he never got accustomed to lying, but he knew it was necessary to keep his family safe, including his son.

"We didn't want to say anything until we were pretty sure." Lois finished for him, feeling the stress of the lie and its toll on her husband. She wasn't any happier about it, but they had to have as few questions asked about Jonny as possible. For the next four months they would play the part of expectant parents until August 8 when HG Wells and the baby would arrive in Smallville for an "early delivery."

"Chief?" 

All three looked up to see Jimmy Olsen hovering outside the door much as Lois and Clark had done minutes before. "Layout wanted me to ask you..."

Perry waved him into the office. "Jimmy, Lois and Clark have something to tell you."

His cowboy boots scuffed the floor as he came to lean against the Perry's desk. Jimmy gave Clark and Lois a questioning look. "What's up? You guys having a baby or something?"

"Yeah, Jimmy, we are." Clark smiled at the younger man's offhand comment. 

"What? That's great. When? Am I gonna be Uncle Jimmy?"

"In September." Lois confirmed, allowing herself to share his enthusiasm. Maybe with the happiness of their announcement, no one will take the time to question the "pregnancy." 

In a couple months, they'll just be happy for the edition to the Kent Family.

~~~~~~~~~~ 


	4. Chapter Four

**What the El? - #0 - Empty Nest  
a _Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman _- based fan fiction  
by: Joycelyn Solo**

**Author's note: **I present to you, what I hope to be, a series of stories set after the end of Season 4. This isn't necessarily a "Season 5" type of deal here, there are lots of other sites for that, but I wanted to try my own hand with the world of _Lois & Clark_ and see how far I could get with the introduction of one of my favorite heros. This prequel to my "What the El?" series takes place immediately after the fade-to-black of "The Family Hour."  
**Disclaimer: **_Lois & Clark_ and associated characters are property of December 3rd Productions who, I believe, had them on loan from from DC Comics. Most any other character we'll run into later are property of DC Comics. I mean no copyright infringement, this story is for entertainment purposes only.

**Chapter Four  
**_Argo City_

--  
Stepping into the front entrance of her family's home, Kara felt her mother's mind touch hers. 

_Come to your father's lab, Kara. We have something to tell you._

Still dressed in the white bodysuit and skirt of the Academy, complete with her House symbol etched in silver over her chest, Kara followed without hesitation to her father's laboratory. 

It was a rare treat for her to be allowed into Zor-El's inner sanctum and, in her excitement, she did not notice the hollow look in her mother's eyes when she greeted her. 

"Kara," her father indicated a stool for her to sit as he stood with her mother. "You know the history of Argo City, how it survived the destruction of Krypton."

"Yes, Father." She answered, only mildly curious. Perhaps one of the teachers felt she was lacking in her history studies. "When it was discovered that the planet core was unstable and Krypton was in danger, you and the other scientists refashioned the weather dome to encase the entire city in a protective sphere."

Zor-El nodded, his throat constricting as his daughter innocently answered the question. "Yes, Kara, that is correct. But the sphere can only protect us for so long and I am afraid we've neared the end of its usefulness."

At her questioning glance, her mother took over. "The protective sphere is beginning to lose strength, Kara. Soon it will cease to offer any shielding and Argo City will die."

"But Father and the other scientists can fix it." she protested. "They saved the city once."

Her optimistic faith in him nearly choked Zor-El as he swallowed past the lump in his throat. "We have been searching for a solution, but have not found one. There is nothing we can do to save Argo City."

Her blue eyes, so much like her mother's, widened. "There is nothing you can do?" She could not believe that. Zor-El was Science Premiere. Her father could fix anything. Wasn't that true?

Alura, her cheeks wet with tears she did not realize were falling, stepped toward her daughter. "There is no hope for the city, Kara. But there is hope for you."

Even as Kara noticed for the first time the ship in the back of the lab, she could not fully comprehend what they meant. She recognized the vessel, of course, from the diagrams her uncle -- a man she'd never met -- had created and given to her father. Zor-El had told her what her uncle had done with that vessel; how he had used it to save his son when Krypton was destroyed. 

_There is hope for you_, he'd said.

"No, Father, you cannot mean to...What about you and Mother?" She turned to Alura, hoping that he meant for the three of them to use the vessel even if she could see herself it was built for one, small, person.

Alura smiled sadly at her daughter. "You're father and I have lived our lives and we must give you the chance to live yours." 

Before Kara could protest, she felt a slight pain in her arm where her mother touched her. 

Almost immediately, her eyelids grew heavy and she felt, as though experiencing it from afar, her father pick her up and carry her across the lab.

_No, please. Don't make me leave you._

Zor-El's hold on his daughter tightened. _You must, Kara. You are the last daughter of Krypton._

He laid her gently in the small compartment of the vessel, his eyes locking with Alura's as she came around the other side. Together, they both touched a hand to the small sphere that lay next to Kara. 

If their daughter did not learn to forgive them, at the least she would not forget them.

They knew they would not forget their daughter, the youngest member of the House of El.

~~~~~~~~~~

**Author's note: **True feedback is always appreciated. I know this is mostly written for my enjoyment, but I do care what others think. I've had suggestions to provide more background for the folks who didn't see "The Family Hour" or to explain better how I planned to handle the mystery baby. I do listen and try to comply with serious suggestions. Thanks for reading.

Oh, and no flames, please. The rabbit and I have fire issues. 


End file.
